Detroit Auto Show 2006

Camaro, Challenger & G.T. 500 highlight the future of muscle

Feature Article from Hemmings Muscle Machines

The 2006 Detroit Auto Show proved that American car buyers are finally turning their attention away from full-size gas-guzzling sport utility vehicles and taking another look at, well, gas-guzzling muscle cars. Confused? Truth is there were still plenty of hybrids and fuel-efficient drivetrains on the show floor, all of which promised ample speed, plenty of miles per gallon and less time spent at the filling station. And yes, there were plenty of new SUVs on hand, including the new version of the reigning king of 4x4 excess, the Cadillac Escalade.
However, the stars of the show were rear-wheel-drive, two-door American coupes motivated by rumbling V-8 engines that, no matter what electric trickery might ever be thrown at them, are unlikely to steal Toyota Prius sales. The Dodge Challenger and Chevrolet Camaro are bristling with attitude and the possibility of seeing production in the near future. For now they are strictly concept vehicles, according to DaimlerChrysler and General Motors executives, but we wouldn't bet our paychecks on that being true. Presently, the hot-selling Ford Mustang has the modern muscle car field all to itself. DCX and GM now want in on the fun, and a slice of that sales pie. Ford isn't sitting back on its laurels, and the Shelby GT 500 coupe and convertible are the Blue Oval's warning salvo that it will not be easily toppled by brash newcomers.
Ironically, as prices of the original 1960s models that inspired these latest dream machines continue to skyrocket, tomorrow's bargain entries into muscle car motoring might be via brand new versions of those prized classics.
Dodge Challenger Concept
DaimlerChrysler saved its best auto show theatrics for the debut of much more mundane machinery than the stunning Challenger Concept. The new Jeep Wrangler drove on-stage through a glass wall, while the launch of the clever little Dodge Compass featured a fake snowstorm that showered journalists in scraps of white paper. Note to self: Don't take photos of Cobo Hall's clean-up crew, as one worker threatened me after I took her photo. She had a rake, I had a camera. She won. Thankfully, the only threat to my well-being as the Challenger rolled onto the stage was a sudden increase in my pulse rate. Chrysler's designers managed to get the proportions of the classic Challenger spot-on, despite using a shortened version of the 300/Magnum/Charger platform that best lends itself to chunky, blocky lines with shallow greenhouses. The Challenger is only two inches shorter than the Charger sedan and a full four inches wider, while riding on a four-inch-shorter wheelbase. Under that aggressively striped hood, with twin (fully functional) air intakes, is a 6.1-liter Hemi V-8 with 425 horsepower and a promised 0-60 mph time in the region of 4.5 seconds. A six-speed manual transmission with a pistol-grip shifter and massive 20-inch front and 21-inch rear alloy wheels sweeten the looks as well as the car's Mustang-hunting capability, if it reaches production. The good news is that the chances of that are very likely, as the platform and engine are off-the-shelf components and rumors are rampant that the Challenger is set for an on-sale date of 2007, as a 2008 model.
Chevrolet Camaro
The Challenger made my heart race, but the Camaro concept car brought people--well, at least one guy--to tears. Despite arriving at the press conference more than an hour early, yours truly had to fight to wedge in between those more vertically endowed than I. Eventually I found myself among several hundred members of various Camaro clubs from around the country, whom General Motors had flown in for the event. In front of me, the entire GM hierarchy, including CEO Rick Wagoner, Vice President of Design Ed Welburn and former Chevrolet general manager Jim Perkins--who took time before the press conference to chat with club members and look at photos of their cars. A high school marching band started the festivities as ESPN announcer Jack Arute introduced classic Camaros such as a Mark Donohue's Sunoco-liveried Trans Am racer, a Smokey Yunick special that was banned from competition and Ed Welburn's own yellow-and-black 1969 ZL-1-one of only 69 built. Finally, the new Camaro rolled onto its platform, its driver none other than the spotlight loving Bob Lutz, GM's vice chairman. As Lutz described the car's tasty specs including a 6-liter 400hp engine and six-speed manual, one of the club guys next to me began to cry in joy and a chant of "we'll buy it" rose up amongst his fellow Camaro devotees. Their enthusiasm may have been dampened a bit when Lutz admitted that the car is "strictly a concept vehicle." But so was the sexy little Pontiac Solstice not so long ago, and we know how that story ended. The problem with the Camaro is that, unlike the Challenger, a production-ready version would need considerably more time and investment to bring to market. If it helps GM make up its mind, my own informal analysis indicated that many folks preferred the slightly less retro lines of the Camaro to the Challenger. We'll leave it up to you--though I'll admit that I'm a sucker for Mopar orange.

This article originally appeared in the April, 2006 issue of Hemmings Muscle Machines.